Italian oil company Eni (NYSE: E) (MIB: ENI) reported 9,5% less profit over Q4 2011. The profit loss can be explained by the crisis in Libya, lower gas prices and lower margins in the Refining & Marketing devision.
Full-year adjusted operating profit was EUR 17.97 billion, an increase of 4% from 2010 driven by the Exploration & Production division.
The Board of Directors intends to submit a proposal for distributing a cash dividend of EUR 1.04 per share (EUR 1.00 in 2010) at the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting. Included in this annual payment is EUR 0.52 per share which was paid as interim dividend in September 2011. The balance of EUR 0.52 per share is payable to shareholders on May 24, 2012, the ex-dividend date being May 21, 2012.
Income investors face a challenging environment in the quest for yield. Valuations for traditional domestic dividend paying sectors (Consumer Staples, Pharma, Utilities, Telecom) seem stretched after nice runs over the past 12 to 18 months. I think now is a good time to look overseas for solid dividend payers with reasonable valuations. Europe seems like a good area to look for dividend stocks with solid cash flow and valuations given the negative sentiment currently hovering over the... Read more